The purposes of the
Corporation are to provide a
resource
for those in need:To offer food, clothing,
shelter and
companionship for
those in need, as well as to act whenever and however possible as
advocates
for the disadvantaged, and to engage in other charitable purposes
lawful
in this Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

UPDATES:
We are opened from the first Sat. in December until the last
Saturday in April from Noon until 1:30.

WILL IT EVER END?

2015

This is a question many people are
asking these days of doom and gloom for many.

It has been a very busy and
complicated year at the pantry as more

and
more people are asking for help.

With people getting laid off, less
money, unexpected expenses, cars breaking down and families finding
themselves homeless are just a

few of the things we confronted
this past year and helped wherever we could.

The year started off with a family
living in a hotel and had ran out of money

to
pay the fee to stay there.We
paid for the month for them which cost us $1700,

as
the weather was bitter cold to have to live on the street.

They are still bouncing from place
to place. Neither drive and their daughter is staying with relatives.

Hopefully things will turn around
for them soon. I see the husband some times for food.

We had another family of 6.The mother is a single mom and has 5 children. Her company that she
worked for moved to India. We hadn’t seen her for months
and I thought she most be doing ok. I saw her a few months ago and found out
she was working but not making enough to make ends meet. She was trying to
do it on her own and found her self cornered as her electricity was about to
be turned off. Money is low for us at this time of the year and at first I
said I couldn’t help but felt God was telling me to help her. I called her
back and said we would pay the bill which was over $500.00. This is really
God’s pantry as a check came in for $1,000 very shortly after that.She is coming back about every week.

We spent close to $4,000 getting cars repaired this
year with various problems so people could keep working or going to doctor’s
appointments.

We are seeing more families coming from the Best
Western for food. The state pays the hotel for people that are homeless and
have no where else to go. They are allowed to come twice a week because they
are limited on the amount of food they can take as most are living in one
room with a small refrigerator and a small microwave.

Right now there is a family of 9 living at the
hotel which consists of seven children plus the mother and father.They have so many problems including health issues the mother has
been dealing with for a few years.

We just paid their storage bill so they wouldn’t
lose their belongings. They were behind three months. It was over $800.00.
We try to help anyway we can with a complicated life.

Again another check came in for $1,000.Again I say this is God’s pantry not mine.

Two anonymous donors gave money CLOSE TO $7,000 for
the lawyer of one mother of two to get her working papers and a social
security number plus we have helped her in various ways to keep her from
drowning in financial debt. All she needs now is her green card which she
should get within the year. She was in a dangerous situation.The place she worked was a sweat shop and was treated like a slave
but now has a job she loves and has a decent place to live in but still
struggling as her car is in bad shape and needs to get another car.

These are just a few stories of people we have
helped this year. But if you didn’t support us we never could do what we do
besides giving out food. You are the backboard of the pantry.

Many families would not be able to get enough food
to get thru the week, without the pantry. People save from $75 up to $150 a
week depending on the size of their family. Really large families may come
twice a week or anyone struggling when they first come and after awhile they
are able to make it coming once a week.We spend from $1,000 to $1,500 plus a week plus what we get donated.

As fast as food comes in it goes out just as fast.

Without your support we never would be able to
support families the way we do. I do not use institutionalize words as
people that come are family not clients. We are one family in God. No matter
what road we follow it leads to the same Creator that created all of us.I care about the whole person not just their needs for food.

Donelan’s Supermarket, which we usually go to twice
a week, goes way beyond the mile to help us in anyway they can. They bend
over backwards to help us wherever possible. They are unbelievable with
their support of the pantry.

All supermarkets do try to help but are constrained
many times by their corporations.

During the summer and early fall months we get free
produce from Fontes Farm, Jones Farm and Parlee’s Farm and others that have
extra vegetables or fruit from their own harvest.

We never turn anyone away and we always have enough
food to help others. Will open up on days we are closed for emergencies
situations. We are the only pantry in the
Lowell
area that allows people to come weekly. We gave out 5,861 boxes of food in
October up 20% from last year. A majority of money spent on food is for
produce which is essential to help keep people healthy.

Donations come in all directions whether it is
places of worship, families, individuals, small businesses, corporations,
farms, schools, organizations, or the supermarkets we shop at during the
year. There are so many that it would be impossible to list all of them.

We are a blessed community with people of all ages
reaching out to help us.

Hunger has no boundary lines and we give food to
anyone from any community that is in need.

I am fund raising at St. Mary’s in Chelmsford, on Saturday,
November 28 and Sunday, November 29. I will be at all the Masses.

I do work with St. Vincent DePaul Societies in this
community and in Ipswich of which I am
contributing member. We give food to families in
Ipswich
once a month. Our Lady of Hope St. Vincent DePaul Society helps us on a
monetary level as much as they can.This helps them to help in other areas with financial difficulties
for families.

As I handle most of the business of the pantry I am
very busy. I write a thank you note on the front of your check. If you need
a receipt for tax purposes please give or send me your email and I will send
you back a receipt. It is much easier doing it thru email. I make all the
deposits and keep things as confidential as I can.

Again, I am most appreciative and grateful for all
your support over the past 22 years whetheryou volunteer, contribute to us thru monetaryor food donations or having the courage to come and get much needed
food for your families, friends or yourself.

I can’t thank my very faithful volunteers enough
for what they do to help us. I see many times some of them giving up fun
things to help us; whenever it is needed. We become like a family working
together for the good of all.

Families are facing some very difficult challenges
in their lives. Situations they never thought would happen to them Anyone
reading this flyer needs help or knows of someone that needs help please do
not hesitate to contact me. As I say many times “Hunger has no boundary
lines”

This is a question many
families are asking this past year that come to the pantry for help with
food and many times other things, too.Because of your support many families have been able to avoid some of
these challenges.

It has been a challenge
for us too; but with your continued support we have been able to make
changes in people’s lives for the better.

A family of 6 that live
in Chelmsford have had a very
challenging year. A car accident this past winter made it imperative to get
the car fixed so the father could get back and forth to work along with the
other responsibilities all families need for transportation. We were able to
get the car repaired.Then this
summer their water heater stopped working and they had no hot water for a 3
or 4 months. With school just around the corner and a little baby the need
for hot water became a necessity. A very generous supporter paid for the
replacement of the water heater which cost $1800.The first time they could take a shower with warm water was such a
joy to this very grateful family.

A woman that was a very
long distance from work everyday was walking and did not ask for help but
when I found out her circumstances I insisted we fix her car, as it was very
unsafe to drive and occasionally took the chance.I spoke to a very generous supporter and the answer was “get if
fixed- I will take care of it”. She is so grateful and thankful for this
gift of being able to get to work safely, especially with the cold weather
ahead and be warm not exposed to the elements of the weather on any given
day.

Another family that was
helped last year when surgery was needed for the Mom to save her life but
three thousand dollars was needed, as it was nor covered by insurance and
was paid by a very generous supporter.This family has been hit with more problems. Their ten year old son
had cancer 4 years ago and it went into remission but has come back with a
vengeance. It is a Neuroblastma and is spreading but is being treated with
oral chemo and hoping for the best.

Their furnace needs to
be replaced but for the moment is patched but will be replaced and paid for
by a generous supporter.Again,
I tell you without your support people would be wondering where I can get
help.

This is just three
examples of help needed for three of our families this past year.It is truly God’s Pantry so many times I wonder how I am going to be
able to help a family with car repairs, gas for cars to get to work,
electric and gas bills, necessary clothing in the winter months, medical and
emergency rents. Somehow or other I receive a donation I was not expecting
that makes a difference in another’s life for the better. It is truly God’s
Pantry and He works thru people with generous hearts for others in difficult
situations of life like you.

Because we do not take
government grants we are afforded more freedom to help people, without
regards to government guidelines. It is in our Mission Statement, too.

Many families turn to us
for help because we go way beyond food to help families. I care about the
whole person not just handing them a bag of food. People do get the
opportunity to pick out their food and we help with special diets, to. Many
people can not afford the food for these diets, like gluten free food, sugar
free and salt free or reduced food. These foods are very expensive and with
limited income impossible to buy. If they do not stay on the required diet
their health will pay the consequences of not eating the right food.

I have been told how we
help them for a healthier life. I do
a lot reading to help them to stay on specials diets that are needed by some
of our families.

Many of our families do
work, either underpaid or only able to find part time work. But we still
have families that one or both losing their jobs or going from full time to
part time work.The economy is
still not strong and is very questionable. Future doesn’t look to promising
with a lot problems over healthcare. Hopefully this will work out in time.

There are many stories I
could tell you that you have made a difference in people’s lives. You have
no idea what a difference your support makes for multiple families every
week.All donations make a
difference no matter how big or small they are. They are touching many lives
for the better.

I do not use
institutionalize words as we are all one family in God. As I always say,
“This is God’s Pantry not mine”. We all find God in our own walk, but all
roads lead to the same Creator.

Donelan’s Supermarket,
which we usually go to twice a week, goes way beyond the mile to help us in
anyway they can. They bend over backwards to help us wherever possible. They
are unbelievable with their support of the pantry.

Wal Mart since mid
October has been having a weekly food drive for us and will continue to
Christmas. The extras they have given us are making a difference on the
extra food we can give to families.

All supermarkets do try
to help but are constrained many times by their corporations.

During the summer and
early fall months we get free produce from Fontes Farm, Jones Farm and
Parlee’s Farm for years. This year we received 5 bushel of apples from
Little Rascals Orchard in Harvard, MA. It is a good feeling to know our local
farms care about others, too!

We never turn anyone
away and we always have enough food to help others thanks to your generous
support. I will open up for emergencies on days we are not opened.We are the only food pantry in the Lowell area that allows
people to come weekly.Families
save about $75 to $100 depending on the size of the family on food by coming
to the pantry.We spend over
$1,000 most weeks but never under a $1,000. I do coupons which helps us to
get extra food like cereal. We gave
out 4,070 boxes and bags of food for October.A majority of the money spent on food is for produce which is an
essential to help keep people healthy.

Numbers are increasing.
Two weeks ago we had 20 new families in one week. This past week it was 13
new families.Sometimes it is a
family that hasn’t come for awhile or others that find out about us thru
word of mouth, churches or other agencies.

Donations come in all
directions whether it is places of worship, families, individuals, small
businesses, corporations, farms, schools, organizations, sport groups, or
the supermarkets we shop at during the year. There are so many that it would
be impossible to list all of them.We couldn’t do it without you-you make the difference for so many
families struggling today.
Families are doubling up. Sometimes a mother has to move in with her
daughter’s family and the husband has to move in with another child.It is happening to one of our families right now in Chelmsford.

We received a check this
year for $6,751.20 from Chelmsford National Honor Society from a fund raiser
on the Common this past spring.
This is the second year they have done this for us. It took many hours of
work for this fund raiser along with eateries that donated their time and
food to help make it a success.

We are a blessed
community with people of all ages reaching to help us and other groups, too.

Again, I say every
donation no matter how small or big is helping to make life a little easier
for others. You are making a difference in many lives whether you realize it
or not.

I am fund raising at St.
Mary’s Church in Chelmsford
on Nov. 30 and Dec.1. I will be at all the Masses.

I do work with St.
Vincent DePaul Societies in this community and with Our Lady of Hope in
Ipswich of which I am a contributing member. We give food to 35
families in Ipswich
once a month.Our Lady of Hope
St. Vincent DePaul Society helps us on a monetary level as much as they can.This free up help for others with financial difficulties in other
areas they help with.

Monetary
donations-please make checks payable to Chelmsford Community Exchange, Inc. PO Box 394,
Chelmsford,
MA01824.
For further information look us up at our web site
www.chelmsfordfoodpantry.org,
call me at 978 250-3818 or email me at
vze2gt3p@verizon.net. Please include your telephone number, if you email
me, so I can contact you, if necessary. I write a thank you note on the
front of your check, as I am the one that makes all the deposits. I try to
keep it as confidential as possible. If you need a receipt of your donation
for tax purposes please let me know and I will accommodate. I am truly busy
as I handle most of the business of the pantry.

Again, I am most
appreciative and grateful for all your support over the past twenty years
whether you volunteer, contribute to us thru monetary or food donations or
having the courageto come and
get much needed food for your families or yourself.

I can’t thank my very
faithful volunteers enough for what they do to help us. I see many times
some of them giving up fun things to help us; whenever it is needed. We
become like a family working together for the good of all.

Families are facing some
very difficult challenges in their lives.Anyone reading this flyer needs help or knows of someone that needs
help please do not hesitate to contact me. Hunger has no boundary lines.

Our
pantry serves The Greater Lowell area and beyond. Hunger has no
boundary
lines nor do people having financial difficulties. Because of an
outdated formula for evaluating poverty income guidelines , many
families are hurting and do not qualify for any kind of assistance. The
poverty is hidden and very prevalent because it is invisible. It
is like a person that looks very healthy but has cancer or any other
depilating
illness which is eroding their insides. Food pantries are no
longer
band-aids but necessities. Most of our families work that come to us
for
help. Just check out the poverty
guidelines
on this site and it answers for itself.
God Bless all of you for your
continued support
and caring!

Sandy Donovan,
Founder \ Director

Your donations are deeply appreciated. Any of us , or our loved ones ,
could
be in need of community support at some time in our lives. Don't
let
our "Chelmsford" name deceive you, we serve numerous communities in the
Merrimack
Valley! We make every effort to help those who seek our
help.
For this reason...

Please
print this page, share with others, and
cut
and mail the form below if you or your church or organization can
help us in this time of need. Download,View or print a Word
Document Flyer for organizational use and making
revisions,as needed.
Thanks!